Salt (2010)

In Salt, Angelina Jolie plays a character once written for Tom Cruise. If you’ve read anything about the movie over the course of its multi-month media blitz, you’ve probably read that. Primarily this tidbit is used for publicity. But to ignore the impact this sex-swap had on the film itself is to miss the importance of Salt as a potential launch pad for a new breed of action heroines.


As a thriller, director Philip Noyce’s film is a speedy, sturdy jaunt through twisty turns and heart-pounding action – the kind of film that hits you with a far-fetched concept anchored by a “did she/didn’t she” mystery, but rarely slows down long enough for you to ponder the ridiculousness of the plot, or the holes that might be found within its core question. In other words, it’s of the same breed as Enemy of the State (1998) and similar political-minded summer blockbusters, all grouped together by one common theme – success.